Analysis of the ARIA database shows a sharp increase in NaTech events in French industrial facilities between 2010 and 2019. NaTech accidents are technological events that have been triggered or exacerbated by intense natural phenomena, such as floods, high temperatures[...]
Periods of cold weather are often synonymous with high electricity consumption and technical incidents. They can also cause power supply and telecommunication network outages. An imbalance between electricity supply and demand could happen this winter, generating power outages. Whatever their[...]
Spells of scorching heat always give way to episodes of intense rainfall and what are known as Cévennes rain events. In recent years, France has experienced many rain events that have resulted in flooding of industrial facilities. Although well known,[...]
Mobile acetylene cylinders are present in all sectors of activity owing to their common use on welding machines. Even if they look like risk free, these cylinders are real hazard potential ! Five major accidents in France since the beginning of[...]
How does a technically insignificant incident turn into a media frenzy? This new film, produced by the BARPI, explains the sequence of malfunctions that led to the release of a highly olfactory component. A timeline presents how the media crisis[...]
Runaway reactions are a major source of industrial accidents. They can occur in a wide array of sectors, including chemicals, petrochemicals, food processing, plastics and rubber manufacturing, and metalworking and are primarily caused by a loss of process control. The[...]
Despite being produced 200 times less than sulphuric acid (1 M vs. 200 M tonnes/year), the ARIA database has recorded nearly 80 accidents involving hydrofluoric acid (HF) (vs. 220 for H2SO4). A series of recent accidents serves to recall its[...]
In a chemical plant, a leak of effluents containing acetonitrile (a harmful and flammable solvent) from the process wastewater system lead to groundwater contamination. As the network was used only sporadically, the duration of the leak could not be accurately[...]
Transfer of chemicals between fixed and mobile tanks may cause mixtures of incompatible products. This risk is all the more pernicious as the mixture usually involves "classic" substances and widely used: bleach, acid ... This fact sheet presents some lessons[...]
This summary report was established based on information collected from 557 French accidents (251 cases) or foreign accidents (306 cases) which took place between January 1917 and May 2003 and which are recorded in the ARIA database. This document should[...]
